Times Advocate, 1992-12-23, Page 34Page 34
Times-Advdcate, December 23, 1992
1a
Girls playing on boys hockey
teams is not that uncommon
There are
5,906
registered
players in
the OWHA
Amanda Wuerth of the Exeter Novice Waxers is seen here with teammates Kevin Over-
holt, left; and goalie Bradley Grainger before Friday night's game against Stephen
Township.
Huron Park Pacer Pups
00,-kt
4�OP
Back row, left to right, Lynne Farquhar (coach), Dianne McIntyre, Mary Lynn Dietrich,
Shauna Becker, Jodi Glavin, Jaime McGee, Kerri Lynn Case, Jen McLean, Hayley Hart-
ford, Marj Green (manager). Front row, .Cathee Wilson, Rose Glavin, Sarah Mosurin-
john, Helen Theophiloupolos, Jen Case, Jen Smale, Kristen Strang, Carla Taylor, Bre-
nyn Baynham. (Missing, Tina Glavin, Carrie Simpson, Assistant coach Sandi Fremlin,
Trainer Dianne MacGregor.)
?My
parents
thought
I'd be
better off
in
hockey"
Jennifer Jeffrey ofv urich and some of her prized posses-
sions. She plays on the peewee team.
By Fred Groves
T -A staff
ZURICH - This story begins in
the small Southwestern Ontario vil-
lage of Zurich but flourishes
throughout the coverage area of
the Times -Advocate.
The Babe Siebert Memorial Are-
na is where 12 year-old Jennifer
Jeffrey has spent many hours dur-
ing'the past eight winters.
Jennifer is a grade seven girl who
plays for the Zurich peewees, a
team dominated by boys in a hock-
ey association that has always been
male orientated.
But it's not the fault of that local
hockey association, in fact it's no
ones fault that there are very few
girls playing ice hockey. Things
are changing, there is a girls' hock-
ey team which plays out of the Ste-
phen Township Arena in Huron
Park.
Although Jennifer is too young
for this particular team, she has
plans to keep playing in Zurich and
beyond.
At the age of four, Jennifer was
on the ice playing hockey. She
gained the respect of her male
counterparts so much, last year she
was the captain of her atom team.
And how did she start playing
hockey?
"I really didn't like figure skating
and I always wore hockey skates.
My parents thought I'd be better off
in hockey," said Jennifer whose
brother Allan plays for the Zurich
bantams and mother Barb is the
president of minor hockey.
Three years in tyke, two in nov-
ice, two in atom and now peewee;
now it's body contact. She says she
can handle the tough physical part
of the game and so far she has.
There are obvious physical dif-
ferences in girls and boys, even at a
younger age. Jennifer has had to
overcome a few obstacles such as
not being able to be in the dressing
room with her team before the
game.
"I'm allowed to go in 15 minutes
before the game." Home games
aren't that cumbersome as she
changes at her home. But road
games, Jennifer is banished to the
ladies' washroom.
Different approach:Another dif-
ference she has faced is the way
her coach talks to her as compared
to the other players on the team.
"He might start yelling at the
guys but I do something wrong and
he just explains it to me. I think 1
should be treated the same."
For any female hockey player,
Manon Rheaume has become an
example of determination. The
goaltender is the first female to
sign a contract with a professional
hockey team.
"1.641k-she!.a-salemodel I want
to make it up there. I want to play
in the NHL," said Jennifer.
Some are
chasing the
dream of
an NHL
career
According to the Ontario Wom-
en's Hockey Association, there
were 5,906 registered players in
that association ranging between
the ages of 4 and 71. That was in
1991-92 and the OWHA says there
will be a lot more this year because
it seems each local association is
adding another team.
The OWHA has an individual
who travels throughout the prov-
ince promoting women's hockey
and encouraging the establishment
of more teams.
"They're
loving
every
minute
of it"
Pacer Pups: This fall, in Stephen
Township, a new team comprised
of girls between the ages of 13 and
19 was started. Named the Huron
Park Pacer Pups, after the senior la-
dies team in Huron Park, the Pups
are learning the game and having
fun doing
"They're loving every minute of
it," said one of the team's coaches
Lynne Farquhar. "They don't get
discouraged, they like it so much
they don't care if they lose."
Farquhar said the team was start-
ed because of interest shown by
both the players and the parents.
Co-operation from the local Ste-
phen Minor Hockey Association
has been great, supplying sweaters,
socks, water bottles and even help-
ing find ice time.
The Pacer Pups is a mixture of
girls who fall into the intermediate
and junior age categories. Most of
them have either played ringette or
figure skated. Learning the rules of
hockey has been gradual and the
Pups have already won one game.
Farquhar said they had to turn
away about a half a dozen girls
who wanted to play because they
only had die one team and have 18
players now.
Two teams:She won't be sur-
prised if there are two girls hockey
teams next year and would like to
see a Huron county league in the
near future.
Farquhar plays for the Huron
Park Pacers ladies team which has
been going since 1985. 'limy play
14111 on .2e40108..An
all -female association which has.
several teanIs.
While Zurich and Stephen Town-
ship have female hockey players,
they are not alone. Lucan's Jennifer
Lightfoot plays for the Devileues
and atom -aged Jolene Heffeman is
on a Lambton-Middlesex select
team.
Jenni Noyes also plays in Lucan,
she's six -years -old and plays on the
Lucan tyke team along with her
brother Michael.
Family event:In this particular
case, it's just as easy for mom and
day to pack up two children and
take them to the rink as it is one.
Jenni is a defensemen and just prior
to Christmas already had seven
goals.
"When I got my first goal, my
aunt and uncle were there," she
said.
This young girl also plays soccer
and has a hockey goal in mind.
"I'm going (to play) until 1 get to
my dad's peewees."
Her dad, Brian, is a coach with
the Lucan peewees which won the
OMHA championship last spring.
Amanda Wettrth is the lone fe-
male hockey player on an Exeter
Minor Hockey Association travel
team. She's on the Novice Waxers,
and this eight-year-old really likes
to play.
With her, there has been a bit of
compromise. When she first start-
ed, Amanda couldn't go in the
dressing room when the boys were
getting dressed. Now she can.
The boys have agreed to wear
their long underwear and there is
no embarrassment.
"If she keeps playing hockey, it
will be a problem," said Amanda's
mother Linda. "She felt she wasn't
part of the team when she dressed
by herself."
No problem: For now, because
Amanda is only eight -years -old,
dressing together is not a problem
but once she is 12, like Jennifer
Jeffrey, it will be.
Amanda is a versatile athlete
who played ringette for two years
and is a very good soccer player.
With the Waxers, she plays both
left and right wing.
"I like the mules, your stick can
go in the crease," said Amanda. In
ringette your stick is not allowed
in the crease.
Amanda's favourite NHL player;
Mark Messier.
While this story has touched on
the Jew problems like not be able
to be in the dressing room together
as a teain, there are a lot of advan-
tages w girls playing hockey. 0
give them the honest feeling that
they can keep up with their nark
counterparts and in some cases be
just as good, if not even better.
Although this story mentioned
just a few of the local girls who
play hockey, there are many others
out there and to you we Say food
work and keep It up.